To meet Texas teacher certification requirements, you need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, completion of an approved Educator Preparation Program, passing scores on the required state exams, a cleared fingerprint-based criminal background check, and an approved application submitted through the state’s online system. The State Board for Educator Certification sets the rules, and the Texas Education Agency processes the paperwork. Below is what each step actually involves, in the order that matters.
Degree and Educator Preparation Program
You need a bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.1Texas Education Agency. Becoming a Classroom Teacher in Texas For alternative certification routes, no specific major is required, though your degree field affects which subjects you can teach.
You also have to complete an approved Educator Preparation Program. Traditional university-based programs build teacher training into a four-year degree and include a full semester of student teaching under a mentor. Alternative Certification Programs are designed for people who already hold a degree, and they require a minimum of 300 hours of coursework and field-based experience before you can be issued a standard certificate.1Texas Education Agency. Becoming a Classroom Teacher in Texas
Admission standards are set by 19 Texas Administrative Code §227.10.2Legal Information Institute. 19 Texas Administrative Code 227.10 – Admission Criteria Most programs require at least a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Your program director must personally certify that you’ve finished all required training before the state will accept your certification application.
Required Certification Exams
Texas requires you to pass exams covering both subject content and teaching skill. The Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) series covers content knowledge in your certification area, and a separate pedagogy exam covers instructional and classroom skills.3Legal Information Institute. 19 Texas Administrative Code 230.21 – Educator Assessment
The pedagogy requirement is changing. Texas has used the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) exam, and it now also accepts the edTPA, a portfolio assessment with video recordings and written analysis of your teaching. The PPR’s last operational date is August 31, 2026, after which the edTPA becomes the sole pedagogy assessment for most certificate categories.4Texas Education Agency. SBEC Adoption of Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 230 If you’re testing in 2026, confirm with your preparation program which exam to take and when.
Some certification areas also require the Science of Teaching Reading exam, including early childhood through grade 6, core subjects certifications with a literacy component, and English Language Arts and Reading for grades 4–8.5Texas Education Agency. Required and Replacement Test Chart
TExES exams are scored from 100 to 300, with 240 as the minimum passing score.6Texas Educator Certification Examination Program. Understanding Your Exam Results You can’t register for an exam on your own; your preparation program must authorize each test attempt after confirming you’ve met its readiness benchmarks. You get five total attempts at each exam, counting the first try and four retakes. After five unsuccessful attempts, you can’t take that exam again unless TEA approves a test-limit waiver. The same five-attempt cap applies to the edTPA, and both full and partial retakes count toward it.7Texas Educator Certification Examination Program. Retake Policy
Check Your Criminal History Before You Enroll
If you have any criminal history, including arrests that didn’t lead to convictions, request a Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation before paying for a preparation program. TEA charges a non-refundable $50 fee and issues a written opinion on whether your background would likely disqualify you from certification.8Texas Education Agency. Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation-FAQs The evaluation takes up to 90 calendar days.
You submit the offenses you believe could affect eligibility, a written statement about the circumstances, and court documentation showing the final disposition of each case. TEA looks at whether your history suggests conduct related to public education, a lack of good moral character, or unfitness to work with students. The opinion isn’t a guarantee, but it can keep you from investing in a path that won’t lead to a certificate.
Application, Fees, and Fingerprinting
Once you’ve passed your exams and your preparation program has signed off, you apply through the Educator Certification Online System (ECOS). Start by creating a Texas Education Agency Login account, which establishes your unique TEA ID number.9Texas Education Agency. Educator Certification Online System You’ll also need official transcripts from every post-secondary institution you attended. Your preparation program uploads a formal standard certificate recommendation directly into the state’s database; confirm with your program coordinator that the upload is complete before you try to finalize anything.
Submitting the application triggers a non-refundable $75 fee for a standard certificate.10Legal Information Institute. 19 Texas Administrative Code 230.101 – Schedule of Fees for Certification Services Online payment may add a small surcharge.
After the application and payment, you schedule fingerprinting through IdentoGO. Total fingerprinting cost is $49: $39 is paid during the ECOS application, and $10 is paid to IdentoGO at the appointment.11Texas Education Agency. What Are the Fees Associated with the Fingerprinting Process? Fingerprinting at an out-of-state location adds about $50. Bring a valid photo ID to your appointment.12Texas Education Agency. Fingerprinting Process for Texas Educator Certification
Your prints go to the state for a national criminal history review. You can watch your application status in ECOS as each component clears. Processing usually takes several weeks depending on volume. When the background check clears and your documents are verified, your certificate appears electronically in the system.
Intern and Probationary Certificates for Alternative Routes
If you’re going the alternative certification route, you’ll teach in a paid classroom position before earning your standard certificate. Texas issues two preliminary certificate types for this, each with strict time limits.13Texas Education Agency. 19 TAC Chapter 230, Subchapter D – Types and Classes of Certificates Issued
- An intern certificate is valid for one 12-month period. You must be enrolled in good standing in an approved program and serving in a paid, supervised internship. It goes inactive 30 days after you leave your school assignment or your program.
- A probationary certificate is valid for up to two 12-month periods, with the same requirement of active program participation and a supervised teaching assignment.
You cannot hold any combination of intern certificates, probationary certificates, emergency permits, or one-year certificates for more than three 12-month periods total.13Texas Education Agency. 19 TAC Chapter 230, Subchapter D – Types and Classes of Certificates Issued If you haven’t earned your standard certificate within that window, you can’t keep teaching on a preliminary basis. Both certificate types require you to pass the appropriate content exam before issuance.
If You’re Certified in Another State
Texas does not have reciprocity with other states. If you hold a standard educator certificate from another state or U.S. territory, you must apply for a Review of Credentials through TEA rather than simply transferring your license.14Texas Education Agency. Out-of-State Certified Educators The review fee is $160 and is non-refundable.10Legal Information Institute. 19 Texas Administrative Code 230.101 – Schedule of Fees for Certification Services
You create a TEAL/ECOS account, upload a copy of your out-of-state certificate, and have your official transcript sent directly to TEA from the issuing institution. You may qualify for exemptions from some or all Texas certification exams if you submit score reports and verification of teaching experience with your initial application. Allow four to six weeks for processing after TEA has all your materials. If you hold an administrative or student services certificate but not a classroom teaching certificate, you’ll also need to document two years of school experience in your certification area using TEA’s official Verification of Experience form.14Texas Education Agency. Out-of-State Certified Educators
Military Fee Waivers
Active-duty service members, veterans, and military spouses can have several certification fees waived. TEA waives the application fees for standard certificates, probationary certificates, one-year certificates, educational aide certificates, and the review of credentials.15Texas Education Agency. Some Educator Certification Fees Waived for Military Families Fingerprinting fees, renewal fees, and reinstatement fees are not waived. For TExES exams, $11 of the registration fee is waived.
Apply for the military exemption before finishing your certification application. Documentation depends on your status:
- Active-duty service members: military ID (front and back) and current state ID.
- Veterans: DD-214 showing honorable discharge, plus current state ID.
- Military spouses: your state and military ID, the service member’s military ID (front and back), and a copy of the marriage license.
TEA reviews the documents and emails eligible applicants with instructions on how to proceed.15Texas Education Agency. Some Educator Certification Fees Waived for Military Families
Renewal and Continuing Education
A standard Texas educator certificate is valid for five years from the last day of your birth month following issuance.16Legal Information Institute. 19 Texas Administrative Code 232.5 – Renewal Date for Certificates If you hold multiple certificates, they renew on the same cycle. The renewal fee is $20, with a $10 late fee if you miss the deadline, and $40 to reactivate a certificate that has gone inactive.10Legal Information Institute. 19 Texas Administrative Code 230.101 – Schedule of Fees for Certification Services
Classroom teachers must complete 150 hours of continuing professional education during each five-year cycle.17Texas Education Agency. Classroom Teacher Certificate CPE Requirements At least 25 percent of those hours, or 37.5 hours, must cover specific required topics:
- Collecting and analyzing data to improve classroom outcomes.
- Dropout prevention and recognizing early warning signs that a student is at risk.
- Digital learning, digital teaching, and technology integration in instruction.
- Educating students who are educationally disadvantaged or at risk.
- Understanding appropriate boundaries and communication between educators and students.
All educators must also complete training on educating students with disabilities, including specific instruction on dyslexia that incorporates current research.17Texas Education Agency. Classroom Teacher Certificate CPE Requirements Hours spent on the required topics beyond the 37.5-hour minimum count toward your overall 150-hour total.